How to improve your mind

YOU have to read your textbooks, but if you are horrified at the thought of reading for pleasure, check out what a good read will do for you.

Reading relaxes

Biographies, histories, tracts on economics and other non-fiction fare will give you lots of new ideas and provide that extra polish of education, but when you pick up a novel you’re transported instantly to a strange planet, time in the past or another life. A good novel is as good as a holiday.

Books empower

A study by the US National Endowment for the Arts found that people who read for pleasure are significantly more likely than those who don’t read to visit museums and attend concerts, and almost three times as likely to perform volunteer and charity work. This suggests that reading encourages us to take an active part in the world around us.

Books mean a better future

An international study involving 31 countries by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development revealed that kids who are enthusiastic about reading books, newspapers and comics have more of an advantage than those who don’t read but have well-educated parents with good jobs.

Books boost brain power

Your brain is a thinking organ that learns and grows by interacting with the world through perception and action. Reading for pleasure means growing mental muscles that translate to better grades.

Gerontologists point out that mental stimulation from reading and solving puzzles protects against cognitive decline in old age.